Ana: the story of a diamond

The Gálvez are a great family. Attached, kind and humble. Ana was the grandmother of many grandchildren, among which are Estela and Cinthia. Today, I am telling you the story about how these twin sisters felt like having a last gesture with her dear grandma.

Ana had peculiarities like waking up in the morning, turning the music on and start dancing. She even won the prize “Lively Grandma” in the town festivals a few years ago for which she proudly received her bouquet of flowers. But apart from this endearing personality, she was a woman known as someone always ready to help, accommodating and kind to everyone. She had a weakness for family reunions where there is a big table full of plates because everyone came along and to which long after-lunch conversation follows. She adored those evenings when her grandchildren would spend the night.

She was a fairy tale grandma.

When Ana left us, her descendants received a monetary compensation as inheritance. It was Cinthia who messaged me straightaway and said:

"Angela, I have just received some money because my grandmother passed away. I do not want to spend that money on something superfluous. I would like this money that comes from her to give me something that will forever stay with me and that remains me of her."

Her gesture captivated me. Any other person would have, probably, spend that money on something likely to end up forgotten or dumped after some time without remembering that it was the last thing an especial someone got to give as a last gift.

With this background, I asked when Ana was born. Why? Because the idea of this project was to remember Ana while she was alive. And her live began a beautiful April. Curiously, the stone associated with the month of April is the diamond. I had to include a diamond in the design no matter what.

The diamond has the distinctive feature of being at the top of the pyramid of stones – this explains its high value in the market. The reason is its hardness. Nothing can scratch a diamond, except another diamond. Nothing seemed to make more sense to me than mixing grandma Ana with a diamond. We are talking about a woman who, ever since she was born, had to face a civil war followed by a world war. Scarcity, tough political transitions, economic depressions… This was the everyday life of people like Ana for pretty much their entire life. At her age, these people are diamonds in the rough. Nothing can defeat them. They are strong and so is their character. No matter what, they will manage to provide and get their families off the ground with love, effort and a boundless natural intelligence. Their stories are the best, their meals are the yummiest and their ability to talk without talking in as disturbing as admirable.

The necklace design is modest, like Ana was. Made of gold, like Ana was. With a distracted diamond that seems to have fallen there without even noticing. Ana was a diamond, we know that, but she probably didn’t notice this either. Of course, Estela and Cinthia have always been very aware of this fact and it moved them to have such an honoring last gesture with her loved grandmother.

Have a wonderful Tuesday,

A

"The past is never where you think you left it" –Katherine Anne Porter